One Rabayl Manzoor has linked to this blog in the midst of her argument for “gay rights in Pakistan“, citing it as an example of:

…practicing [sic] Muslims who have managed to reconcile their sexual orientation and faith and find no reason to focus on conflict within the two.

Well, there is some truth in that, in that the matter is very clear from an Islamic perspective: acting on homosexual desires is forbidden by our Creator, and so whether we talk about “same-sex attraction” (as we do) or “orientation”, the duty of every Muslim towards it is the same.

When it comes to “conflict” between worship and desires, between dunya and Akhirah, there really is no contest.

Another oopsie: the pro-homosexuality “scholar” (or, it seems, Manzoor herself) cited the Qur’an 49:3 when she presumably meant 49:13. As the refuted argument goes, Allah has created diversity of all types, so all diversity should be accepted. Note that the Qur’an calls our attention to diversity of the following kinds and made them signs of His power and beauty: two genders, many nations and tribes, many languages and colours, and even the fact that not everyone will follow the truth of Islam.

Did you spot sexual orientation anywhere? And if we take this argument too seriously, couldn’t any deviant tendency be gathered under the umbrella of diversity?

Indeed, those who lower their voices before the Messenger of Allah – they are the ones whose hearts Allah has tested for righteousness. For them is forgiveness and great reward.

If we study the meanings of this surah, we understand that these are the people who show utmost respect for the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him), submitting to the commands of God as revealed in the Qur’an and Sunnah, not pushing their own opinions and desires.

One can come to many conclusions about what the unraveling Amina story actually means, but for our purposes what it demonstrates is the growing fracture between the very real, lived concerns of people living in the region and the selective, sensationalist focus of the Western media on issues in which they can see themselves reflected in, one of which is the lives of “gay Arabs” and “gay Muslims”. […]

[G]ay Arabs are only the latest fodder used to fan the flames of Islamophobia in political, media, and public discourse. […]

[T]he use of human rights abuses to justify the War on Terror speaks this violent logic: that those who are intolerant do not deserve to be tolerated (by those who both set the standard and are tasked with upholding it, when it suits them). Homophobia within Palestine, for example, which is bizarrely presented as unique and exceptional, becomes a justification for why Palestinians are less deserving of justice, equality and a state than the liberal, tolerant and democratic Israelis.

Here we talk about halal and haram, obedience to God, resisting blameworthy desires – and many visitors to the site only want to talk about love. Lest I be guilty of ignoring that side of things, please see the article above for a start (at SuhaibWebb.com).

I am planning to write a detailed post about love (if God wills), perhaps taking its title from a phrase in Imam Ibn Hazm’s fascinating Ring of the Dove, where he says: “The best thing a person can do out of love is be chaste.”

Exodus International, a Christian organisation, has produced a smartphone app that has drawn predictable criticism from homosexualist quarters. According to David Allison of Outrage: “It creates the wrong attitude if you try to persuade people there is a choice and it can be cured like an ailment or an illness, as if you need to be. It isn’t: you are born with it, live with it and die with it.”

Allow me to give a voice to someone who would, in the homosexualist paradigm, be classed as “gay”, but whose opinions, feelings and preferences in life are considered by such campaigners as irrelevant. This is a comment from a young man on the StraightStruggle group:

Perhaps someone should tell David Allison that, conversely, he is creating the wrong attitude by telling people they are born with it, live with it and die with it.

The irony is that when it comes to people seeking growth and healing beyond homosexuality, people like him do not offer the same options for freedom of choice and expression that he would demand for those like himself who wish to embrace the homosexual lifestyle. It’s completely hypocritical. In a society where I can legally pay for a sex change, drink my liver out and have unprotected sex with a stranger – the same evil forces that would support such behaviours would prevent me from seeking psychological growth into my existing biological potential.

David Allison, you were born with the potential to make sperm, you live your life making sperm, and you will die making sperm. Do you think your body’s trying to tell you something? 😉

Why do the gays hate the ex-gays so much? What deep nerve is our presence striking that makes them so vicious in condemning us?

The BBC has an article today promoting a radio programme about “British gay Muslims… joining the global fight for equality and seeking gay Islamic marriage”. If the programme is like the article, it will contain lots of emotions and baseless opinions, but nothing from a credible Muslim scholar.

Asra and Sarah decided upon a ‘nikah’ – a Muslim matrimonial contract. Whilst nikahs have traditionally been the reserve of heterosexual Muslims, Asra and Sarah were aware that other gay Muslims had followed this route and the couple decided to investigate further.

“A few friends said you don’t really have to have an official Imam, but you need someone who is knowledgeable enough about the Qur’an to do it. Fortunately, one of our friends was, and she offered to do it. She’s a lesbian herself, and she said we could do it in her home.” […]

The short ceremony was conducted in Arabic, and additional duas – prayers – were read and the marriage was essentially no different from the nikahs performed for straight Muslim couples all over the world.

But the Islamic faith vehemently rejects homosexuality, and the fact this nikah was for a gay couple is highly offensive to the majority of Muslims – including Asra’s own parents.

Offensive is hardly the point.

Their so-called “nikah” is in fact fundamentally different from an actual nikah performed for a man and woman.

One of the essential conditions of a nikah is that the two people be marriageable to one another. A member of the same sex is not, in the Qur’anic paradigm, a marriageable partner. That is even if we don’t point out that homosexual relations are a sinful abomination.

Instead of condemning homosexuals, Saad told Al-Masry Al-Youm, we must “adopt a merciful approach and help them to repent.” […]

With regard to his position on homosexuals, the true sin is unwillingness to change, not homosexuality itself. Believing that every gay man deserves a second chance at heterosexuality, Saad is determined to become an advocate for that second chance by speaking out on behalf of gay Muslims, a group he affirms, that faces more difficulties than any other oppressed section of Muslim society. […]

Saad explained that Islam advocates sympathy and forgiveness: “Society must forgive [homosexuals] for their past, for Allah is a great, merciful forgiver.” As expressed in the book, gays are a direct result of a modern society that “participates in young men’s conversion to homosexuality.” Therefore, society should turn inward to examine its own behavior before it begins judging that of homosexuals. […]

Members of the other group view their sexual orientation as a disease to be treated. Saad sees the treatment process as a heroic struggle in which men fight their instincts with the help of a doctor, and “hope for God’s reward.” Fortunately for them, this ‘reward’ is virtually guaranteed; even those who fail to succeed in their ‘conversion’ find redemption in God’s eyes because of their efforts. […]

Saad adamantly opposes the idea of homosexuality as biological and unchangeable. He labels the “nature vs. nurture” argument as unsound and predominantly western, and insists that no individual is born with an unalterable sexual preference. “For every sin in Islam,” Saad explained during the interview, “there is a method to avoid or reverse that sin.”

Unlawful desires are usually associated with ugliness. They leave behind a lingering sensation of pain and guilt. Hence, whenever you are tempted, think about liberating yourself. Think about all the remorse that would accompany the realization of those desires, and then make up your mind. Struggling your way through obedience is not an easy task. It is, however, associated with goodness and soothing pleasures. Whenever you overburden yourself (with unlawful desires) think about how nice it would be to repent and set yourself free. Think about the pleasures that lawful desires will provide and try to make the correct choice. The dilemma you will experience should be reduced by remembering the sweet pleasure and the ultimate happiness that your obedience (to Allah) will provide. Logically, your mind should opt for the more rewarding option and help you to endure the pain of denying yourself the realization of such desires.

One Kash Amin has written article about “Being Gaysi”, apparently a cute contraction of “gay desi”, i.e. South Asian. The article is mainly about culture, and therefore not particularly of interest at this blog.

It is full of relativism, such as when the author says: “There have been many-a-times even I have woken up asking who/what the f*** I did last night? But so have many of my straight friends.” Visitors to the article should also be aware that there is some explicit imagery.

What particularly drew my attention was Amin’s assessment of his future:

I have accepted the consequences of a gay lifestyle in the Muslim context. I don’t mean this in a self-loathing, self-deprecating way, but I have to accept that, in the context of Islam, I am going to spend time in hell. But there’s this sense of knowing and accepting these consequences that has both empowered me and allowed me to begin to map out my “gay” future.

I cannot take much satisfaction from the fact that he has refrained from promoting his own re-interpretation of the Islamic texts in order to pretend that homosexual acts are not forbidden. I am troubled for someone who can feel “empowered” by the idea of going to Hell. Does he know what Hell is??

This is a succinct expression of “choosing this life over the Hereafter”. It’s not too late to wake up and change, if talk of “the context of Islam” implies that he actually believes in Islam. For me, this is a confirmation of our view that true faith and proper understanding are indeed key to this issue as any other.

A Unique Perspective

Here we discuss the concept and emergence of "Gay Muslims", considering that homosexual activity is clearly forbidden in Islam. We kindly advise Muslims struggling with same-sex attraction, affirming that nobody is sinful for what they feel inside. As for those people who try to distort the religion, we refute them soundly with evidence.